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When South Africa play with bold passion and true intent, which is something they always bring to the fore, the world cricket stage tends to get elevated by a purity of purpose that's so rare to find. Much like the West Indies, the South African team too, has for long been one's second-favourite team, outside the love and fondness for one's own nation.
But this time around, Madiba's land needs prayers and miracles that could help its playing eleven along in a huge bid to shake up the odds that tend to favour Australia when it comes to dominating and winning the WTC final.
So that said, with the World Test Championship final fast approaching our gadgets and TV screens, what could be South Africa's playing expected eleven for the big match occasion?
South Africa's probable playing XI for WTC 2025 Final
Openers: Aiden Markram and Ryan Rickelton
Pure class and unfettered excellence, perhaps two key adjectives that define the graceful Markram. On the one hand, and the icy cool Rickelton. However, the Austalians on the big match final day would be keen to recollect just what was the Transvaal-born left hander's contribution with the bat when he last played a Test earlier this year in January?
It was a dogged 259 that came off a 607 minute stay at the wicket. An effort that really grinded Pakistan to a halt. Can the same happen to Australia, the South Africans would, without a doubt, crave it.
Number 3: Wiaan Mulder
There's class and a promise of youth that Mulder brings to the batting fold, having already struck nearly 600 Test runs from 18 games, as on date.
He seems to offer that quality of reassuredness amid massively challenging occasions such as the WTC final.
Middle Order: Tristan Stubbs, Temba Bavuma, David Bedingham, Kyle Verreynne
In Stubbs, Bavuma, Bedingham and Verreynne, there's stability and plentiful of responsibility that the Proteas have this time around in facing arch-rvials Australia in a battle for ultimate Test supremacy.
The last or very recent innings of Verreynne culminated in a hundred and ditto for captain, Bavuma; the right handed captain's watchful but impactful 106 off 179 in Cape Town led to Pakistan's drubbing in January earlier this year.
It was just the sort of knock that the Proteas would need to fire themselves up against a mighty opponent like Australia.
Stubbs' ability to stay cool under pressure can play the perfect foil to Bavuma playing the anchor role at one end.
All rounders: Wiaan Mulder (the number 3 in the expected playing side could likely feature as the all rounder along with) Marco Jansen
Mulder made a Test best of 105 not out sometime back in the day and the 27-year-old from Guateng would be hoping for just that kind of knock to help his team to reach a position of authority in the much-awaited Lord's-bound final.
Secondly, Jansen can also be handy with the bat, having been the man responsible for hitting the winning six, albeit in the 2024 T20 quarter-final against the West Indies, that enabled his team to reach the decisive stages of a massive ICC tournament. Such a responsible and calm role with the bat will, once again, be needed by the Proteas this time around in the long format.
Spinner: Keshav Maharaj
It can't be that there's a South African playing eleven sans Maharaj, their finest spinner as on date, with respected figures like a Pat Symcox having dominated back in the day.
The slow left arm orthodox spinner is two wickets shy of 200 Test wickets and that particular milestone, should come in good time for his team, could really bolster the Proteas' chances in the big final.
Fast Bowlers: Kagiso Rabada, Dane Paterson
Fast and furious, the Protea fast bowling cauldron can be a tough challenge for the Australians to handle for the simple reason that while plenty in the current Australian line up may have - and have actually- faced Rabada, not many are too familiar with fast medium talents like Paterson and Mulder.
Two spirited talents with the red ball in hand will definitely try to muster a strong courageous fight alongside Maharaj, the ace spinner in the team and Markram, as the wicket-taking spinner who's often lauded for possessing a 'golden arm' being a partnership breaker.
Forget not that with Jansen's lanky frame, the Proteas will have in their tallest athlete in the playing eleven an exponent of quality fast bowling, and someone who can extract that extra bit of bounce to catch batters by a surprise.
